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Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side have been dealt a huge blow to their hopes of signing Marcel Lewis this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that the Chelsea attacking midfielder has agreed on a move to Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise.

According to the report, both Derby and Huddersfield Town had been keeping an eye on Lewis in Chelsea’s youth setup ahead of a potential move this summer.

Huge blow

Having yet to make a senior appearance in his short footballing career, missing out on the signing of Lewis is not likely something that will have much impact on how well Wayne Rooney’s side fare in their league campaign next season – as the 19-year-old would have more than likely linked up with the club’s youth team prior to making the move to first-team football.

However, with the versatile midfielder – who can operate from defensive, central, left, right and attacking midfield, as well as from either wing – highly impressing all through the Chelsea age groups, having scored 19 goals and provided 21 assists over 76 appearances in all competitions in the Blues academy, it very much appears as if the Rams have missed out on an exceptionally talented player for the future.

Furthermore, with Lewis opting for a move to the rather less prestigious Belgian leagues over potentially playing Championship football with Derby, this too would not appear to bode well in terms of the way the Rams are perceived by younger talents, or indeed any players, at present, given the turmoil surrounding the club.

As such, while Rooney will undoubtedly have other, more pressing targets in mind for the summer transfer window, missing out on the 19-year-old is not exactly the best way to kick his summer transfer business off, and the inability of his club to secure a deal for the teenage gem is likely the leave the 35-year-old livid.

In other news: Rooney must avoid summer disaster over “fantastic” £17.5k-p/w dud, Derby can do better – opinion

The ongoing speculation surrounding Adama Traore, his contract and a potential move away from the club has been a hot topic of conversation amongst Wolves fans.

The 25-year-old has found himself in a challenging position in Bruno Lage’s side, as he competes for a spot with both Daniel Podence and Barcelona loanee, Francisco Trincao, meaning he is not guaranteed to be in the starting line-up.

Despite being out of favour for the initial team sheet, the £43k-per-week winger has made 13 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season in all competitions and has been coming off the bench for the side often.

In his 13 appearances this season in both the Premier League and the EFL Cup, Traore has been unable to register a single goal or assist for the side, which will put him even more out of favour in Lage’s team.

Lage has spoken out in-depth about why Traore is struggling to make an impact on his team;

“I would like to see from Adama what he did in the first three games, and what I saw in the last two weeks,” said Lage

“That’s the Adama I want to see in the pitch. I want Adama to be more consistent, not just game by game, but also in the game.”

Despite his inconsistency in selection, Traore has been hailed a “fantastic talent” by ex-Premier League manager, Tim Sherwood.

“No one wants to play against him, and no one wants to play with him on occasions also but he’s so quick and powerful and he’s actually getting his head up a little bit more and delivering crosses and making chances.

“He’s a fantastic talent but he needs an arm around him all the time.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Jeff Shi could really capitalise on cashing in on an underperforming player who is still considered a talent, especially with links to clubs like Liverpool, which would be sure to bring in attractive offers for the Spaniard.

The club and the manager have an important decision to make going forward as this transfer window could be a real opportunity to squeeze a good price out of other clubs for the forward. Wolves are in a fantastic position to sell for an eye-catching price that may well fund Lage’s plans for other key areas of the team that need reinvestment.

Wolves will take on Norwich City away at Carrow Road this weekend, and Lage could use the opportunity against a vulnerable Norwich side, to showcase Traore’s talent to keep clubs interested in the upcoming transfer window.

Wolves winger Adama Traore isn’t good enough to be a successful signing for Liverpool in January, according to former England international Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with exit

Bruno Lage’s side lost 1-0 at home to the Reds on Sunday, with Divock Origi’s stoppage-time winner breaking Wanderers’ hearts.

Traore played most of the game and was a menace to Liverpool’s defence, having recently been linked with a move to Anfield in January.

It has been claimed that the Spaniard could be available for as little as £18m, slashing his asking price by £32m from an initial £50m, with Jurgen Klopp potentially seeing him as a good squad option.

The Latest: Mills unsure over move

Despite this, someone who doesn’t think a move would be good for Liverpool is Mills, who told Football Insider that Traore simply doesn’t deliver consistently enough:

“Can he be unlocked? It’s going to be difficult.

“He had one great season where he’s been off the charts. We know he’s got incredible pace and for a little while, he had a bit of an end product. Then that dissipated and he had a couple of very average seasons for Wolves.

“Can Klopp get anything better out of him? I’m not sure.

“Also you’re bringing him into the first-team squad, so who do you leave out? Who do you drop? That’s the problem Liverpool would have. You wouldn’t drop any of their attacking players for him.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“375704”]

The Verdict: Squad player at best

For all Traore’s incredible speed and strength – Klopp himself has hailed the 25-year-old as ‘undefendable’ in the past – his lack of end product backs up Mills’ claim.

The winger is still searching for his first goal or assist in the Premier League this season, despite starting nine and featuring in 14 of Wolves’ 15 matches.

It could be argued that Klopp could nurture him and make him a greater force, but at 25, he has had enough time to mature as a player and show he can add more substance to his game.

Wolves are possibly better off without Traore in their starting lineup, too, using him as an impact substitute and using Francisco Trincao and Hwang Hee-chan as wide men, with the former a younger option and the latter delivering four league goals this season.

In other news, some Wolves fans slammed one player’s performance against Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick could sign a major upgrade on Harry Maguire with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Sky Deutschland (via Sport Witness), United are one of a number of top European sides who are chasing the Germany international.

It’s claimed that the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign the central defender, and that Rangnick’s side have now emerged as an additional contender for his signature.

Better than Maguire

While Maguire may be established as a cornerstone of this United defence, Rudiger’s arrival would see the club land a genuine upgrade on the England international.

As per Whoscored, the £100k-per-week German has averaged an impressive 7.00 match rating over the course of the Premier League this season, which far betters Maguire’s measly 6.56.

And, when you look at the key underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why.

Rudiger averages almost double the number of interceptions that Maguire does, while he also boasts a far higher average number of passes and key passes per game – the kind of ball-playing centre-back that could thrive under Rangnick.

The Chelsea man also wins more offsides per game too, a pointer of how his pace and reading of the game is slightly superior to that of Maguire.

Rudiger’s performances for the Blues has earned rave reviews from a number of people, not least former United man Rio Ferdinand, who waxed lyrical about just how good he has been in the top-flight.

He said (via the Metro): “Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably, since Tuchel has been there (at Chelsea), been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or (Ruben) Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”

And, speaking to BILD, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “Toni has established himself exceptionally since the first day we arrived. He is an absolute leader and plays at an incredibly high level.”

The £31.5m-rated star could bring some proven Premier League experience and quality to this United back-line, and a real upgrade on Maguire.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must move for this Serie A midfielder…

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Davinson Sanchez looks set to be sold by Spurs this summer, with Jorge Mendes lining up replacements for the defender.

The report by Football Insider claims that sources have revealed Tottenham will “listen to offers” for Sanchez this summer, as the 24-year-old “can’t be trusted” in big fixtures.

It is also reported that Jose Mourinho has identified the centre of his defence as the “main priority” for new additions this summer and that the 58-year-old believes Spurs “overpaid” for the then club-record £42m signing of the Colombia international.

Football Insider also claimed that Mourinho’s agent Mendes will have a “major say” in Tottenham’s summer recruitment, a remit which will include “lining up new centre-backs”.

Transfer Tavern Take

So far this season, the £65,000 per week Sanchez has found his game time somewhat unpredictable at Spurs, with Mourinho leaving the defender out of nine of his Premier League matchday squads earlier this term before appearing to reinstate the 24-year-old as one of his first-choice centre-backs in recent fixtures.

His level of performance has also been rather erratic, highly impressing over Tottenham’s three fixtures prior to the Arsenal clash, earning a Sofascore match rating of 7.8 against Burnley, 7.3 against Fulham and 7.2 against Crystal Palace. However, after giving away the penalty which ultimately won the North London Derby for Arsenal, he was awarded a disappointing match rating of just 6.6, with his average match rating so far this season sitting at 6.86.

If Football Insider’s sources are to be believed, Tottenham fans may not have to endure the inconsistent displays of Sanchez much longer, with the defender appearing to be heading towards an exit from the club this summer.

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a warning over Harry Kane – find out more here!

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which highlighted footage of an Allan McGregor save in the club’s recent Europa League fixture.

In the footage, which was originally posted by the UEFA Europa League Twitter account, a Slavia Prague corner is whipped in during their clash against Rangers, with one of the attacking players subsequently getting a powerful header on target only for McGregor to somehow claw the ball out from the bottom corner, helping his side leave the Czech Republic with a 1-1 draw.

The Rangers Twitter account then quote-tweeted the footage, adding the comment: “Perfect from every angle.”

And, in response, fans of Rangers flocked to have their say on McGregor’s remarkable save, with many claiming that the 39-year-old’s acrobatics are up there with any save a goalkeeper has ever made, while others simply heaped praise on the ‘keeper for his general level of performance so far this season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one supporter even requested the club announce an extended contract for the Ibrox hero.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Allan McGregor’s save?

“Announce new contract for McGregor.”

@55ilverFox_55

“Incredible.”

@CraigCrgrob83

“Legend.”

@Theo93473341

“Insane goalkeeping Allan McGregor.”

@Blabber08756401

“Superglue gloves!”

@iain_renton

“Save of the century.”

@karentay3x

“Show me a better save…. I’ll wait.”

@Allan111Allan

“It gets better every time you see it.”

@legendsofibrox

In other news: many Rangers fans have slammed this Union Bears statement – find out more here!

Sunderland have now been dealt a fresh blow before they play Cambridge United at home in League One on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Big game

The Stadium of Light faithful currently find themselves out of the play-off places, and so need a result against Cambridge to get themselves back in contention.

With title-chasing Rotherham United to come on Tuesday night, this is a big game that they really need to get all three points from.

The Latest: Dajaku illness

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Alex Neil has revealed (via The Chronicle) that Dajaku is still suffering with illness, and so will not be available for his team:

“Leon is still ill, so he won’t be available.”

The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a blow for the Wearside club that they will be without Dajaku once more.

The Union Berlin loanee has played more often than not this season, and has contributed four goals and four assists in League One so far (Transfermarkt).

Dajaku has also picked up one man-of-the-match award, and ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, dribbles and crosses per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, his creativity and directness would have been useful in helping unlock the door against what could be a stubborn Cambridge side away at the Stadium of Light.

In other news, find out who SAFC’s three worst performers were against Shrewsbury Town here!

Everton slipped up in the previous transfer window by allowing Theo Walcott to join Southampton on loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old returned to his boyhood side late in the summer market after the Toffees failed to secure a permanent deal, having shopped Walcott around as part of a vast clear out at Goodison Park to recoup some cash from their spending spree.

Walcott had only moved to Merseyside two-and-a-half years prior in a deal worth in excess of £20m, but had been deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti as he entered the final year of his £100,000-per-week contract.

Everton’s inability to find suitors willing to purchase the £9m-rated winger ultimately opened the door for his homecoming at St. Mary’s, where Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are only on the hook for half of Walcott’s wages.

Trevor Sinclair has recently revealed he was surprised by Everton’s decision to allow Walcott to join Southampton until the end of the season, at which point he will be a free agent, as the former Arsenal forward had become a real attacking threat again.

“I think they [Southampton] have strengthened as well bringing in Theo,” Sinclair told talkSPORT. “He was a breath of fresh air.

“For me, I was surprised that Everton let him go because I have been to Everton and Goodison a few times where Theo has looked really on it and looks like he is happy and enjoying his football.

“Definitely over any kind of injuries, so yes he was a real threat.”

Walcott has scored two goals and provided two assists in 13 Premier League games for Southampton this season, while starting all of his appearances and only sitting out the Saints’ 2-0 win over Everton last October.

His presence has not entirely been missed at Goodison Park with Alex Iwobi stepping up to the challenge of deputising for James Rodriguez whilst the Colombian was out injured, with the Nigerian delivering some of his best Everton performances to date.

But it can now be considered a blunder by Everton’s Director of Football Marcel Brands to allow Walcott to join Southampton until his contract expires in the summer, as the former England international’s form will no doubt have attracted suitors this year.

Everton are now simply paying Walcott to put his services in the shop window ahead of becoming a free agent, which may not last for long with Hasenhuttl already confirming that he sees no reason why Southampton should not strive to finalise a long-term contract.

“I am very happy that he is comfortable here now and that he is happy to play for us and there is no reason why we should not think about keeping him longer here,” he said, via quotes by the Daily Mail, last month.

The Saints would certainly be wise to lock up a player that has become such a key weapon in Hasenhuttl’s armoury, with Danny Ings (2.1) and Che Adams (1.7) the only Southampton players offering more shots per Premier League game than the Everton-owned forward (1.6), per WhoScored.

Only James Ward-Prowse (1.6) and Adams (1.1) are providing more key passes than Walcott (0.9), too, while the 31-year-old – who ranks first at St. Mary’s for attempted dribbles (2.9) – further delivers 1.8 crosses a game, as the Saints march on in hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Everton, for whom Walcott would rank fourth for shots and fifth for key balls, may now be regretting their decision to allow the forward’s loan deal to go through and wave goodbye to any hopes of recouping anything of the fee paid to Arsenal at the start of 2018.

AND in other news, Everton must end the 14-year club association of a player completely frozen out by Carlo Ancelotti…

Flocking to an official club post, plenty of West Ham United fans have shown no shortage of reaction after loanee sensation Jesse Lingard picked up the Premier League Player of the Month award for April.

Voted the English top flight’s best player for last month, the midfielder continued his fine form since joining the Irons in what was a productive few weeks for him individually.

The 28-year-old was recognised by Premier League supporters for his brilliant performances during the month of April, which saw him bag an impressive four goals and one assist in just four matches.

Many West Ham fans were understandably excited over the announcement – with some slightly baffled by the decision given that it arguably wasn’t his best month compared to February and March.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-rumours-and-gossip-two%2c-electric-boogaloo/” title=”West Ham rumours and gossip two, electric boogaloo” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

After the official West Ham Twitter account shared this ‘great news’, there were no shortage of diverse opinions and reactions on social media. Find a flavour of the reaction from Irons supporters below.

West Ham fans react as Lingard news emerges

“actually surprised. He was far more deserving of the award in Feb and March”

Credit: @stephenlott

“FINALLYYYYYY”

Credit: @MitchellWHU

“Siuuuuuuuu”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“Letssss goooo the most deserved winner of the season.”

Credit: @ryan_rudman

“HE WASNT ROBBED TEARS IN MY EYES”

Credit: @J0K3R870

“Great news but his poorest month since signing.”

Credit: @jamiewright1973

“Finally! Pls buy him and stay with us next season”

Credit: @WHU99

“Yesssss”

Credit: @boorer_dyl

In other news: West Ham fans are also excited by this ExWHUemployee claim, find out more here.

If you thought Celtic were close to the appointment of Eddie Howe then think again.

This has been a tired old saga but the Hoops still aren’t in a place where they can announce his arrival at Parkhead.

That’s despite now being in talks with the 43-year-old for six weeks.

What’s the word?

Howe is still very much at the centre of Celtic’s thoughts with talkSPORT revealing last week that a deal had been agreed.

However, according to the Daily Record, any sign of an announcement in the early stages of this week won’t be forthcoming.

They report there won’t be any news to the London Stock Exchange on Monday with their sources seemingly adamant that he won’t become the new Hoops manager in the first few days of the week.

The newspaper pinpointed Monday 17th May as a landmark day in their chase for Howe with the Premiership season concluding a day before.

Though, for the time being, John Kennedy remains in interim charge.

More setbacks for McKay

The incoming CEO has only been at the club for a matter of weeks but he’s already tasted the rather hopeless atmosphere that’s surrounded Paradise all season.

Howe has kept Celtic waiting now for well over a month, issuing a number of demands to the club’s hierarchy.

First, he didn’t want to return to football until the summer before it was suggested he wasn’t keen on Fergal Harkin becoming their new director of football.

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It’s thought Howe has now loosened his stance on the matter but problems surrounding his backroom staff still lingers.

McKay will be eager to get this move through the door as quick as possible. With Celtic’s season finishing, it means the focus needs to switch from on-field matters to off-field recruitment.

The top brass in Glasgow cannot achieve that without a first-team manager in place, however.

When a deal actually occurs is anyone’s guess but it could be that Howe is waiting on the result of Bournemouth’s play-off charge.

The Cherries are competing for a spot in the Premier League and will face Brentford in the semi-final first leg this on Monday. The second leg takes place on Saturday 22nd before a potential final awaits them on Saturday 29th May.

Howe is keen to bring Simon Weatherstone and Stephen Purches with him from Bournemouth but they need to wait until their season has finished for talks to conclude.

As a result, we are unlikely to receive any formal announcement this week.

The soul-destroying aspect is that Purches and Weatherstone are not guaranteed to come to Glasgow. After all, if the south coast side are promoted, picking up jobs in the top-flight of English football could be more appealing to them,

The frustrating and tiresome wait goes on for McKay and the club’s supporters.

AND in other news, Celtic can axe Griffiths by landing “terrific” 18-goal gem, he once embarrassed Bitton…